Smart Food Storage: Tips to Keep Your Food Fresh and Reduce Waste
Proper storage is one of the simplest ways to keep your food fresher for longer, avoid spoilage, and save money. Whether you’re dealing with fruits, veggies, dairy, or pantry staples, here’s how to store your food like a pro and extend its shelf life!
1. Vegetables
Veggies That Need a Cool, Humid Spot :
Leafy greens (Choi Sum, Spinach, lettuce) are over 90% water! To prevent wilting, they should be kept in cold temperatures, slowing down evaporation. Placing them in a damp, breathable paper towel also helps maintain the moisture to keep crispy.
Veggies That Prefer Room Temperature (~20 degrees Celcius)
Potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables. Keep in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated space outside of the fridge. Store away from onions and garlic as they release ethylene – a natural ripening agent that causes them to spoil faster.
2. Fruits
Fruits That Like the Fridge
Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries). Keep them in the fridge in a breathable container and only wash them right before eating. They are delicate and this is to prevent growth of mold!
Fruits That Thrive at Room Temperature
Bananas: Store on the counter as they ripen best at room temperature. The cold will halt ripening causing too much oxidation, turning the peel brown and inside mushy. Pro tip : banana releases ethylene so putting unripe fruits next to it will cause them to ripe faster!
Citrus (oranges, lemons, limes). Unlike most beliefs, storing citruses in cold will actually dry out the fruit! They don’t ripen further after being picked so don’t worry too much about prolonging their shelf life in cold temperature
2. Dairy and Eggs
Milk and cream: Store on the fridge’s bottom shelf, where it’s coldest, not in the door.
Cheese: Wrap in wax paper or parchment paper, then place in a resealable bag. This allows it to breathe while preventing it from drying out.
Eggs: Keep them in their original carton on a middle fridge shelf, where the temperature is most consistent.
3. Bread and Pastries
Room temperature (first 1-2 days): Store bread in a sealed bag to keep moisture and prevent staleness.
Refrigerate or freeze for longer storage duration (after 2 days): In warm and humid environments like in Hong Kong, baked goods are susceptible to mold, placing them in cooler temperatures can inhibit mold growth and keep cream/fruit filling fresh.
4. Meat, Fish, and Poultry
Fresh meats: Keep in the fridge at 0–4°C in tight plastic bags to minimize risk of bacteria spread. Use within 1–2 days, otherwise, immediately freeze to preserve freshness.
Freezing tips: Wrap per portion size for easy defrosting. Freezing and defrosting your whole batch of meat damages the cell structure, reducing tenderness and juiciness.
Pro storage tips :
Have airtight containers to combat Hong Kong’s humid weather
Keep dried goods dry (or around dehumidifiers)
The side of your fridge is not cold enough for dairy produce!
Use the FIFO (First in First out rule)!
Repurpose! Overripe fruits are perfect for baking, don’t eat overripe veggies raw but cook them :)
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